SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELL MODULE WITH CURRENT COLLECTOR

• Main Authors: CRUMM AARON T, LABRECHE TIMOTHY
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 27.10.2011
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; ELECTRICITY; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY; REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGYGENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE

A solid oxide fuel cell module includes a fuel cell tube defining a fuel cell tube inner chamber. The fuel cell tube includes a fuel cell tube inlet, a fuel cell tube outlet, an active portion, and an inner current carrier. Oxidizing fluid and reducing fluid react with the active portion to generate an electromotive force. The active portion includes an inner electrode; an outer electrode; and an electrolyte disposed between the inner electrode and the outer electrode. The inner current carrier is disposed between the tube inlet and the active portion. The inner current carrier has a temperature gradient when the active portion is at an active portion steady-state operating temperature. The solid oxide fuel cell module further includes a fuel feed tube routing fuel through the fuel cell tube inlet to the fuel cell tube inner chamber. The solid oxide fuel cell module further includes an anode current collector electrically connected to the inner current carrier between the active portion and the fuel cell tube inlet.